Professional Traveler

One day back in 2004, I woke up and decided that a few small vacations each year jammed between endless months of slogging to the office just wasn’t working for me. I didn’t want to wait another 30 or 40 years to begin living. I needed more fun, right now. And that meant a lot more traveling, with a bit less work. How could I continue to make money while visiting fabulous places at the same time?

My first move was to rent an apartment in Paris for four weeks to test drive my prototype ‘working vacation’. Being a self-employed tax consultant, I thought I could continue my work abroad with a few high-tech tools: an international cellphone, a laptop and an internet connection. My clients were surprisingly supportive and thought it was an interesting experiment (savoring the idea of having an ‘international CPA’), and from a practical perspective it did work quite well.

I took advantage of the time in Paris to brush up on my French at a language school, as well as to make a few new international friends. In a great cosmic intervention of monumental proportions, I met and fell for a fabulous, travel-loving, European guy who was also a commercial airline pilot. Shazaaaaaam !!!

I wasted no time once returning to the States in creating a virtual, paperless office using the wonders of 21st century technology (scanners, PDF files). My new beau and I soon moved in to a tony flat in his hometown of Hamburg, Germany. I picked up some European clients through various timely connections, and received some much-appreciated help navigating the German residence permit process.

My apartment back in the States is still intact; I plan to eventually rent it out as a corporate apartment or a vacation rental. My friends and family miss me, but they will live. This experience is too fantastic to pass up!

With my beau’s pilot discount, at a moment’s notice I can fly anywhere and everywhere his international airline flies, ranging from 20 to 130 euros each way. I often enjoy free, 4-star European hotel rooms when I regularly join him on his flight tours. More often than not, we also plan monthly European getaways for at least 4 days. I continue to meet my client obligations from both my office and from various European hotels, which usually provide an internet connection at nominal charge. My clients know that I am accessible, and we have many conference calls while I am doing important things like lounging on the beach in Mallorca or having a cocktail in Bologna.

And so my life as a “Professional Traveler” is all coming together. I have my feet on two continents, and a wonderful partner who is the ultimate “Professional Traveler” himself.

As the journey continues, I invite you to join me as I describe my adventures and perhaps contribute some wisdom and experiences of your own.

- Jennifer Crawford